Daniel m



UNITED STATES PATENT rFicn.

DANIEL M. LAMB, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

COMPOUND FOR TREATING GOODS, &c., TO ,RENDER THEM WATER AND MOTH REPELLENT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 256,106, dated April 4, 1882.

Application filed December 29, 1880. Renewed Marchi', 1882. (No specimens.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, DANIEL M ARTAIN LAMB,

224,297, dated February 10, 1880.

The object of this invention is to prepare a compound adapted to be applied to various kinds and qualities of goods or other'articles for the purpose of rendering them impervious to moisture, or repellent to water or moisture, or non-oxidizable, and at the same time to render them indestructible by such vermin as moths.

The articles intended to be treated by this compound embrace every variety of textile fabrics from the heaviest goods to the most delicats-such as sails of vessels, carpets, tents, cordage, and rope, as well as stone or metal and,inshort,thecompoundisintended tobe applied to any article whatever the preservation of which from the humidity of the atmosphere, or from a more complete saturation, is a desirable object; and the compound used is such-that it maybe applied to the most delicate shades or tints of any textile goods or ostrich-feathers, or any other feathers, or fursthat claim the attention of the taxidermist, or any beautiful specimens, either in color or texture, that are intended to adorn the museum of the entomologist, and for all of these uses or any others where moisture or moths or similarvermin are to be excluded the compound hereinafter more fully described" is equally as well adapted as to textile fabrics.

The nature and constituents of this compound are such that no delicacy of shade or coloring will be injured by the treatment therewith; but, on the contrary, the colors to which the compound shall be applied will become and remain more fixed and u nfadin g, for the reason that the humidity of the atmosphere will be excluded from every pore and fiber of the articles treated, and hence all incipient decay or fermentation will be prohibited, and consequent decomposition or fading will thereby be prevented. The materials used for this purpose are so compounded and manipulated, and the elements of the compound are such that goods treated therewith will retain all their ordinary beauty and style of finish, remain as entirely pliable and soft as in the natural or untreated state, he as perfectly inodorous as before the treatment, and no injury whatever will result from the treatment. The materials used for this purpose, the manner of compounding them, and the process of treating the goods are as follows:

In the first place I take paraffine and any hydrocarbon gum and dissolve them in any of the lighter hydrocarbon solventssuch as naphtha, benzinc, benzole, gasoline, 850.; but

I takeonly such hydrocarbon solvents as are about 72 Baum gravity, more or less, using for this mixture two ounces, more or less, of

the paraffine, and about a half an ounce, more or less, of indie-rubber, gutta-percha, milkweed, or any other suitable hydrocarbon gum to one gallon of the solvent.

The proportions in which the ingredients are mixed will vary of course with-the kind and quality of the goods to-which the mixture is to be applied, and the purpose for which the goods are to be employed. I

After the material to be acted upon shall have been thoroughly dissolved, and while it is held in solution, it will be acted upon by gas or gases in the following manner: The most eflicient method of producing the desired gas or gases will be to add to the solution formed as above described, and in the same vessel in. which it is contained, about one pound, more or less, of common salt or chloride of sodium to each gallon of the solntion,and immediately thereafter alsoabout one pound, more or less, of sulphuric acid to each gallon of the solution in such a manner that the acid will settle down directly upon the salt and act upon it so as to decompose the salt and generate a gas or gases which will rise up through the mass of the solution and actin its nascent course be varied for different purposes, the' proportions herein given being merely intended to serve as a general guide for the expert who will conduct the operations.

The gas or gases above mentioned will be introduced into the bottom part of the fabricating-vessel, and rise up through the mass of the compound undertreatinent and attack all of the sedimentary and mucilaginous portions of the compound, and precipitate them to the bottom of thefabrieating-vessel, whence theymay bedrawnofi,orthepuritied compound from the top of the vessel. This gaseous treatment will be continued for about from, say, three to ten days, more or less, during which time the solution will be thoroughly bleached and rendered colorless, or nearly so, and a complete chemical change will be effected upon it. After the sediment shall have been drawn ofi or removed from the purified solution the remaininggas will be eliminated from the compound by any suitable means. This may be accomplished by allowing the mixture to stand a suflicientlength of time to discharge the gas, or the mixture may be agitatedby any suitable mechanical appliance; or it could best be done by a powerful current of air driven through the compound from the bottom to the top, using for this purpose some suitable air compressor or blower eonveniently located with reference to the fabricating-vessel, and connected therewith by means of suitable piping so arranged within the fabricating-vessel as to deliver the current of air at or near the bottom of the same, in order termed an agitator in coal-oil-refining operations.

After the agitation of the compound or elimination of the gas therefrom, as above described, shall have been completed the sediment should be again drawn 0H, and then the solution or compound thoroughly freed from residual acid or gas by treating it with a small quantity of caustic soda or ammonia, or both, or with any suitable alkaline solution, either with or with out the addition of water, to facilitate the washing or purifying process. During this process of freeing the compound from residual acid or gas the compound will be agitated by some suitable mechanical appliance, so as to throw up the alkaline solution into the mass of the compound, so as to enable the said alkaline solution to act upon all parts of the compound, and. thereby completely remove all adhering gas or acid.

As has been above described, the gas for the purification and bleaching of the solution under treatment may be generated within the mass of the compound under treatment; and it will be best to so generate it, probably, and from the materials hereinbefore described, as by doing so a cheap and efficient gas may be produced and used in its nascent form, which will be most efficacious; but it will be equally within the scope of this invention to generate the gas within a contiguous vessel and conduct it into the fabricating-vessel by means of suitable piping so arranged as to deliver the gas at or near the bottom of the solution, so that it may rise up through and permeate the entire mass under treatment. This form of applying the gas, however,wo uld take more time than would the nascent gas generated within the fabricating-vessel.

The gas or gases may also be generated from other chlorides and other acids than those above mentioned, or an elficient gas or gases may be generated by mixing the black oxide of manganese with the chloride of sodium, and. then causing the mixture to be acted upon by sulphuric acid, muriatic acid, or any other suitable acid; and all of these forms of generating the gas or gases and the elements for fabricating the same, are clearly within the scope of this invention but I prefer the use of chloride of sodium and sulphuric acid, and the application of the same, substantially as first hereinbefore described.

After the purification of the compound shall have been fully completed, as above described, the solution will be retainedin atightly-closed vessel if it is desired to retain it in the form ofa solution; and to do this, if left in the agitator or fabricating vessel, a cover should be provided therefor, which said cover will set into a water-chamber so as to tightly seal it and prevent the evaporation of the solvent, which is exceedingly volatile; butif itis desired to restore the solids contained in the solution to a solidified form, the com pound should be placed in shallow tanks and the vaporization of the solvent accelerated by raising the temperature of the apartment in which it is placed to, say, 150 Fahrenheit. The usual manner, however, of storing the purified material will be in the solution, as it will principally be adapted to application to textile or other goods or materials for the purpose of rendering them waterrepellent or proof against oxidization in any form, and when the hydrocarbon gums are used in the compound it will be proof against or repellent to moths or other similar insects.

This purified solution may be applied to any textile or other goods, or to any article what ever, for the purpose of repelling water or moisture or preventing oxidization in any form. It will also be used as a filling for silk, woolen, and other woven fabrics or felted goods, this application of the material being especially useful, as the goods may be properly weighted and at the same time improved, as the application of this compound to woven or felted attack of moths or other similar insects.

goods not only increases the weight and body of the same, but it alsoincreases the flexibility and durability of the same, fixes and enhances the brilliancy of the colors, and gives to each and every fiber a coating that will repel the The classes of goods which may be so treated and preserved embrace an exceedingly wide range of subjects, among which are wood, stone,

metal, textile goods, leather, furs,feathers, ar

The application of the compound to the goods or articles to be treated may be by means of a brush or sponge; but I prefer in ordinary cases, for all articles where it is practicable, to immerse the goods to be treated ina bath; but in either case the articles treated, if they be textile or other light and portable goods, will have all adhering moisture drained off or pressed out, and then the treated articles will be gently dried in a closed room at a temperature preferably kept at about 60 Fahrenheit, and after the goods are so freed from moisture the coating or material remaining on the goods will be thoroughly fixed and vulcanized (preferably in the same room in which they have been dried) by raising the temperature thereof to about 180 Fahrenheit, more or less. This high heat will thoroughly force the ap plied compound into and upon all the fibers and give them the coating or mail desired.

- I have discovered that gas generated as described (from common salt and sulphuric acid) under hydrocarbon oils, gums, and paraffine acts directly upon the oils, gums, and paraffine, bleaching, deodorizing, and curing the same; and it also conibines with the hydrogen of the oil and gums and'forms solids to the amount of three-quarters of an ounce to the gallon, or more.

Having described my invention, I claim- 1. The process of preparing a waterproofing compound, consisting in first dissolving paraffine and a hydrocarbon gum in a light hydrocarbon solvent, then subjecting the solution so t'ormed for a period of from three to ten days to the action ofgas formed by the union of sulphuric acid and chloride of sodium in the proportion of about one pound of each ingredient to each gallon of the solution, then subjecting the solution to a powerful agitation of at current of air, and then washing said solution with water and an alkaline solution, substantially as described. I

2. A waterproofing solution formed by dissolving paraffine and a hydrocarbon gum in any suitable light hydrocarbon solvent, then subjecting the solution so formed for a period of from three to ten days to the action of gas formed by the union, in the proportions mentioned, of sulphuric acid and chloride of sodium, and then subjecting the solution to the action of air, and a washing process, substantially as described.

3. A fabric having an invisible water-proof coating composed of the solution of paraffine and a hydrocarbon gum, treated as herein described, fixed thereto by heat, substantially as described.

DANIEL M. LAMB.

Vitnesses:

J. B. THURSTON, M. RANDOLPH. 

